Deaf Pet Awareness

Deaf Pet Awareness

The last week of September is dedicated to raising awareness for deaf pets nationally. Dogs and cats can go deaf for a variety of reasons. From defects at birth, to illnesses causing temporary or lifelong hearing loss, to old age causing deterioration. Some pets are more susceptible to becoming deaf because of their breeding, but we’re going to go through everything we need to know to help and support our furry friends!

What causes deafness in our pets?

●      Congenital deafness

Deafness can be hereditary. Some specific breeds are more likely to suffer from hearing problems and some animals are more susceptible because of their coat - Boxer’s with white coats are more likely to have hard hearing then Boxer’s with other coloured coats .

●      Ear Infections

A build up of wax or discharge that gets infected can cause an ear infection. If it goes untreated it can cause the eardrum to rupture causing hearing loss. Signs your animal has an ear infection include unusual discharge, struggling to hear, shaking their head, scratching and smells.

●      Age

Many owners believe that their animal is going deaf because of their age, but it’s more likely that they have an ear problem that can be solved so it’s always important to get this checked out by your vet. Deafness because of age is seen in dogs older than 13 and cats older than 15.

Selective hearing or a real problem?

There are few of us who haven’t experienced a cat acting as if we don’t exist or a dog finding something much more interesting than listening to us. Selective hearing is where an animal can focus in on a sound, blocking out any distractions. As much as we would prefer our pets to use this ability to listen to us, it’s not always the case. If it is persistent, where your animal appears to not be paying attention to you, it might be that they have formed a habit of this. However, if you have concerns that maybe they might be having hearing difficulties, you can try the two tests below to establish the extent of the issue.

●      Behavioural Hearing Test

At home, make a loud noise to see if your pet reacts. This can be anything from clapping your hands, bashing pan lids together or ringing a doorbell. The key is to make sure your pet doesn’t see you make the noise to ensure a fair test.

●      Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) Test

This test is done on newborn babies, so is not invasive to your animal. Young animals will go through a brief test when they’re born to establish if they could have any issues, which is judged by a pass or fail. A full test takes 30 minutes and the animal listens to a series of frequencies in a quiet room. The auditor assesses their responses to evaluate the severity of the animal's hearing loss.

Sometimes deafness can be difficult to diagnose because an animal's other senses increase to counteract this weakness. All animals have incredible senses and adapt to hearing loss by having other senses heighten. This can also happen if they have an ear problem that goes undiagnosed, therefore it’s always best to see your vet to make sure your pet is comfortable and if they are suffering from some deafness, that you can help make it as easy for them as possible.